Portland General Electric releases all source request for proposal to meet capacity needs
Following a similar request for proposal (RFP) in 2021, Portland General Electric (PGE) last week issued an all-source RFP draft for new clean energy tools and resources to meet projected capacity and energy needs in Oregon.
It was filed in parallel with PGE’s Clean Energy Plan and Integrated Resource Plan (CEP/IRP). The company claimed this would allow it to rapidly procure energy once the CEP/IRP is acknowledged by Oregon Public Utility Commission (OPUC). PGE will pursue a transparent selection process, vetting proposals from multiple sources, including both renewable generation projects and non-emitting dispatchable capacity. This means both projects like solar and wind farms, as well as battery storage systems.
The RFP is just one piece of the company’s clean energy strategy, as it works to meet Oregon’s ambitious clean energy targets, including an 80 percent reduction in emissions from power provided to Oregon customers by 2030. PGE noted that the strategy will also require it to pursue additional customer and community-sited solutions, such as demand response, energy efficiency and community based renewable energy resources (CBREs).
A further filing should follow later this year, with a request for information (RFI) meant to identify possible longer-term technologies and locations to enact clean energy projects. Unlike the RFP, that request will essentially put out feelers for possibilities, not guarantee future projects.
